T for tranquility

Rei Yoshimura's 1989 logo for Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

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Nearing the completion of the new office building of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which was scheduled for April 1991, the details of a design competition to find a new institutional logo was worked out. Ten designers and two design offices were invited to participate. The list that was drawn up was a who’s who of Japanese design legends, plus Alan Fletcher! All of which had plenty of experience working within the context of design competitions.

Keiko Hirohashi & Yusaku Kamekura

The list included the eventual winner Rei Yoshimura, alongside Kazumasa Nagai, Yusaku Kamekura, Takenobu Igarashi, Keiko Hirohashi, Shigeo Fukuda, Ikko Tanaka, Mitsuo Katsui, Alan Fletcher, Makoto Matsunaga and Takahisa Kamijo.

Alan Fletcher & Mitsuo Katsui

A committee was set up and met four times to look through the 20 design proposals that were submitted by the twelve entrants and after a three months of preparation. With reference to ‘popularity votes’ from polls of Tokyo citizens, and after repeated discussions, the committee made the final selection in March 1989.

Kazumasa Nagai & Ikko Tanaka

The winning logo, and symbol of the metropolis designed by Rei Yoshimura is made up of three arcs. These resembled a ginkgo leaf and also represent the letter T for Tokyo. The metropolitan logo was rendered in a vivid green which symbolised Tokyo's ‘future growth’, ‘charm’ and ‘tranquility’. The logo was then developed into a system and a variety of applications formalised in a graphics manual by GK Graphics and was officially adopted on June 1, 1989.

A sum of 20 million yen was awarded to first-prize winner Rei Yoshimura, and 2 million yen was paid to other participants to cover their expenses.

The logo remains in use and intact today, and is a testament to GK Graphics robust system of flexible lock-ups and the abstract simplicity and leaf-like familiarity of Rei Yoshimura’s logo.

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